#HonKong Thread: Hong Kong protesters abandoned Facebook for other platforms - "Facebook is not a useful tool for the movement except for those celebrities and parties, on which they make announcements and deliver statements." euronews.com/2019/07/12/hon…

The 2014 Hong Kong generation was dependent on Facebook. Now, "most young people don't use Facebook anymore & turned to Snapchat or Instagram." At the core of the issue is Facebook's algorithm, which prioritizes posts triggering an intense debate in the comments.

"In 2014, Facebook amplified the disagreements between the various "school of thoughts". EconReporter wrote. "In 2014, the movement had no experience and leaders did not know how to handle it and promote democratic decisions within it," Han Mei said.

"The future of the anti-extradition movement will depend on whether we can keep the momentum. We have to be good at telling another story, no longer focused on the aspect of the clash but on issues such as the relationship between people and the feeling of community," he added.

The Cantonese-speaking cultural minority in Hong Kong and neighboring Guangdong province are regarded with disdain by the Mandarin-speaking Chinese mainstream, and young Hongkongers in particular are seen as privileged offspring of a snowflake generation.

Hundreds of journalists staged a silent march to the police headquarters against alleged violence. Yesterday tensions flared between demonstrators & police in the border town of Sheung Shui. Protesters hurled umbrellas, police knocking people to the floor & using pepper spray.

#Hongkong Thread: Wildy Chan, a 40-year-old teacher, wants HK boss Carrie Lam & police chief Stephen Lo to be held responsible for police's use of "extreme violence" against protesters in recent weeks: "Most of the protesters are peaceful so it is unreasonable". Via @HongKongFP

#Hongkong Thread: #China’s long-term plan for Hong Kong? Assimilation, integration, digestion, oblivion… After the protests, Beijing is clearly content to sit back and play the long game, and that’s a game it is likely to win. hongkongfp.com/2019/07/14/chi…

China watched in horror as their ill-advised push for the now-suspended extradition bill blew up in their faces, with millions of Hongkongers protesting in the streets, paralyzing the police force as its government, from Chief boss Carrie Lam on down, went into virtual hiding.

#HongKong Thread: A group of Sha Tin district councillors have sat on Yuen Wo Road in front of the police defence line, urging the commander to speak to them and prevent another violent clash. #NoToChinaExtradition Via @HongKongFP

#HongKong Thread: Bloodstains were seen on the floor of New Town Plaza mall, with reports of multiple injuries to protesters, police officers and journalists. Police said 11 officers were injured. hongkongfp.com/2019/07/14/hon…

#HongKong Thread: Unreal scenes from inside of the New Town Plaza shopping mall as riot police charge at protestors inside, who respond by throwing umbrellas, etc at police, which pepper spray then in full forcing the protestors to flee into Sha Tin MTR.

Legislatures are designed to serve as the branch of government that represents the will of the people. Hong Kong’s Legislative Council (LegCo) doesn't fulfil that objective since 30 of its 70 seats are reserved for corporate special interests known as “functional constituencies.”

#HongKong Thread: The Hong Kong Journalists Association reported last year that mainland Chinese interests had direct control over, or stakes in, nine of Hong Kong’s 26 mainstream media companies, including TVB, up from eight a year earlier. nytimes.com/2019/07/14/wor…

TVB, Hong Kong’s dominant broadcaster, has been singled out for scorn by protesters, being accuse of a pro-Beijing bias in its coverage of the crisis. TVB’s reporting largely focused on how the protests disrupted Hong Kong’s efficiency, while playing down the political issues

#HongKong Thread: Protesters to target book fair and Beijing-owned Sino United Publishing - Run by Beijing’s liaison office, SUP dominates as much as 90 per cent of the city’s retail book business scmp.com/news/hong-kong…

#HongKong Thread: Opponents of the now-suspended extradition bill are planning to expand their protests to Hong Kong’s hugely popular annual book fair by targeting booths run by a mainland China state-owned publishing conglomerate.

Discussion of events that might reflect unfavourably on the government is often censored, or framed in such a way that it becomes pro-government propaganda. That’s why so many Chinese citizens remain unaware of, for example, the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.

The activists – mostly students – had fled to the self-ruled island, with some planning to seek long-term visas or asylum. A source with knowledge of the situation confirmed to HKFP that over 30 demonstrators are now in Taiwan, with possibly more planning to leave Hong Kong.

#HongKong Thread: Tsai Ing-wen says ‘friends from Hong Kong’ will be considered for asylum on humanitarian grounds - Taiwanese president makes first acknowledgement of reports that Hong Kong protesters are fleeing to the island scmp.com/news/china/pol…

Act Governing Relations with Hong Kong & Macau allows Taiwan to assist where safety & liberty are threatened for political reasons, but its not party to UN Refugee Convention. At least a dozen & up to 60 protesters had arrived in Taiwan or were planning to seek shelter there.

#HongKong Thread: China scrambles to deliver new Hong Kong strategy –but military response not an option - Sources say Hong Kong police critical to maintaining stability. Short and longer term plans to be submitted to Beijing ‘soon’ scmp.com/news/china/pol…

#HongKong Thread: Extradition bill art: the Hong Kong artists painting a picture of protests for the world - A group of artists are using art to immortalise the summer of unrest that is gripping the city because of the controversial extradition billscmp.com/lifestyle/arts…

#HongKong Thread: Artists are using their work to try and spread the word about the protests to the rest of the world

#HongKong Thread: Thousands rally to support gov't and oppose 'violent protesters' - Thousands gathered at Tamar Park on Saturday to show support for Hong Kong authorities & police force. Some mainland Chinese are part of it hongkongfp.com/2019/07/20/pic…

#HongKong Thread: As night falls, a huge crowd of anti-gov't protesters are still pouring through Wan Chai. 👍💪🇭🇰#HongKong🇭🇰💪👍

#HongKong Thread: A protester outside China's top office read out a statement: "We love #HongKong & do not want Hong Kong people to bleed or die for protecting our homes. But we will use all means to force the government to respond to our demands" @HongKongFP Pics @SiuSinGallery

#HongKong Thread: "All of you are my heroes": Pro-Beijing lawmaker Junius Ho applauds, gives a "thumbs up" & shake hands with men in white after 100s of masked men in white shirts assaulted anti-extradition protesters. Proof they are Beijing's men 👎🇨🇳👎

#HongKong Thread: Those attacking men in white shirts attacking the protestors are the Triad gangs. The Triads are known to cooperate with #Chinese intelligence & security services. These attacks were surely ordered by #Beijing. 👎🇨🇳👎

#HongKong Thread: Hong Kong police made no arrests after pro government mob assaulted commuters, protesters & journalists in Yuen Long - Police is tough with protestors, but can't do anything against those attacking the protestors & the public 🤔 hongkongfp.com/2019/07/22/hon…

#HongKong Thread: A new cartoon by Chinese artist @badiucao as Hong Kong police face criticism over their handling of mob violence in Yuen Long. A policeman & a triad member working together on behalf of Beijing. Via @HongKongFP 👍💪🇻🇳#HongKong🇻🇳💪👍

#HongKong Thread: Mob Attack at Hong Kong Train Station Heightens Seething Tensions in City - The attackers are members of organized crime societies known as triads & the violence was encouraged by government supporters and ignored by the police. nytimes.com/2019/07/22/wor…

A brazen overnight attack by a mob of men with sticks and metal bars who were apparently targeting antigovernment protesters raised tensions in Hong Kong to new levels on Monday after weeks of demonstrations, prompting fears of violence spiraling beyond the authorities’ control.

A police commander in Yuen Long, said that officers made no arrests & found no weapons. But in one encounter captured by photojournalists, the riot police spoke with two masked men in white shirts holding metal bars or sticks, patting one on the shoulder before walking off.

The Hospital Authority of Hong Kong said 45 people were injured in Yuen Long, and one was in serious condition. Another 14 people sought treatment after clashes between the police and protesters near the Chinese liaison office on Hong Kong Island, about an hour south by train.

Locals were angered by what appeared to be police complacency, saying the authorities did not answer their phone calls or register their complaints. Some government supporters were accused of playing down or even endorsing the attacks on the protesters.

A pro-establishment legislator, Junius Ho, was seen in a video circulating late Sunday with a group of men in Yuen Long carrying Hong Kong flags and dressed in white shirts, the uniform of the attackers. “Thank you for your efforts,” he said. “You guys are my heroes.”

Hong Kong has a long history of thugs & gang members intimidating protesters. During the pro-democracy Umbrella Movement in 2014, a group of men including triad members & people from mainland China attacked a protest camp that was occupying a roadway in the Mong Kok district.

Even as HK officials promised to aggressively pursue the attackers at the train station, local news outlets reported that some residents were told not to go to the center of Yuen Long town in the afternoon and evening.

Some businesses in the area closed early, and HSBC, the largest bank in Hong Kong, told employees they could leave work early because of the possibility of “disruptions” in Yuen Long and the nearby town of Tuen Mun.

My take: It's very clear that HK police was in cahoots with the attackers & that government officials & member of the business community knew in advance of those attacks since they told people to avoid those areas.

#HongKong Thread: Who were the white T-shirt attackers in Hong Kong? It's believed that the attackers belonged to triads - the name given to organized criminal networks that operate in Hong Kong, and are also known as the Chinese mafia. msn.com/en-au/news/wor…

Hong Kong's triads are "very localised" mafia groups with their own established rules and rituals, says Federico Varese, a professor of criminology and expert on organised crime at the University of Oxford.

"They usually run protection rackets, prostitution & petty drug dealings. They are not international groups but are present in some neighbourhoods," he says. There are several triads in Hong Kong, but particularly notorious groups include the 14K, Sun Yee On & Wo Shing So triads.

Triads are hierarchical organizations, with strict codes of conduct and blood brother-like pacts. They can be any age - triads not youth gangs - although most members tend to join from a young age, he says.

Members undergo a ritual when they are recruited. It traditionally involves chopping the head off a chicken and dripping the blood into a cup which is passed around. The recruits also have the rules of the triad read out to them.

They tend to be naked or half-naked when this happens, because "the idea is you have to forget your previous identity, to join a fictitious family where you are all brothers", says Prof Varese. "Once you're in, you could be there for all your life."

A South China Morning Post article from 2017 estimated that there could be as many as 100,000 triad members operating in the city, out of a population of 7.3 million.

In 2018, there were 1,715 triad-related crimes recorded, according to the Hong Kong Police Force.

Triads "might have found a new role as enforcer of unpopular government policies and repression of democratic protests in the context of a drift towards authoritarianism in Hong Kong".

#China tells #US to remove 'black hands' from #HongKong - China said on Tuesday that US officials were behind violent chaos in Hong Kong and warned against interference, following a series of protests in the city, including bloody clashes on the weekend. reuters.com/article/us-hon…

“We can see that U.S. officials are even behind such incidents,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying at a regular press briefing on Tuesday. Amazing, China ordered the triad gangs to attack protesters & now blames USA for it.

The Chinese military has said that it can be deployed to Hong Kong to maintain social order at the request of the city’s government, and said that Sunday’s siege of the mainland government’s liaison office in the city was intolerable.

Wu Qian, a spokesman for China’s defence ministry, reiterated Tuesday’s state media reports by saying the vandalism of the central government liaison office in Hong Kong was a challenge to the bottom line of the principle of “one country, two systems”.

“We are closely following the developments in Hong Kong, especially the violent attack against the central government liaison office by radicals on July 21,” Wu said at a press conference on Wednesday, during which he introduced China’s new defence white paper.

Asked how the defence ministry would handle events in Hong Kong and independence forces, Wu said only that “article 14 of the garrison law has clear stipulations”, without elaborating further.

That article states that the Hong Kong government – in accordance with the Basic Law, the city’s mini-constitution – can ask the central government for assistance from the People’s Liberation Army’s Hong Kong garrison for the maintenance of public order and disaster relief.

Should any such request by the Hong Kong government be approved, the Hong Kong garrison would send troops to carry out the task, then immediately return to their station.

#HongKong Thread: Sources say there are reports & video clips of units of the People's Armed Police gathering in Shenzhen, which is next to Hong Kong. This could be meant as a warning or preparation to actually go into Hong Kong.

#HongKong Thread: China says it will ‘not tolerate foreign forces’ in Hong Kong - Here we go again, first sending its thugs to terrorize Hong Kong people and now threatening intervention because of "foreign forces" there. 👍💪🇭🇰💪👍hongkongfp.com/2019/07/24/chi…

China on Tuesday slammed US & UK for interfering in HK affairs after the they voiced concerns about a vicious assault on pro-democracy protesters. The savage beating of the Hong Kong protesters by a pro Beijing mob deepened fears about intervention to defend China’s interests.

The PLA’s 74th Army Group revealed on its Weibo account, China’s Twitter-like networking service, that several brigades under its command started a war-game on Monday in Zhanjiang, a city 320km southwest on the Guangdong coast.

Reports say that 1,500 soldiers were taken to a site in Zhanjiang that was purpose-built for crowd control and anti-riot and terrorism training with mock streets, schools and residential blocks, and that some of the troops involved acted as an adversarial force during the drill.

The 74th army group – based in Huizhou, is less than 100 km north of Hong Kong. A retired PLA colonel told HK reporters that if the situation in the city became pressing, a substantial number of troops would quickly cross the border to reinforce the PLA garrison & restore order.

Last month the PLA wrapped up a naval exercise in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor while its seamen were seen leveling their guns at skyscrapers in Central and Admiralty district. The PLA maintains about 6,000 personnel in Hong Kong.

The local drill was held at a time when demonstrators and the city’s riot police were locked in intense confrontations as punches were thrown and tear gas and rubber bullets fired.

While there have been calls to dispatch the army to end the chaotic protests in Hong Kong before violence comes to a head, not all party mouthpiece support such a last-resort solution, which could mean the end of Hong Kong and the freedoms and liberty it still has.

Hu Xijin, chief editor of the nationalist tabloid Global Times, who is known for his belligerent and patriotic outlook, cautioned on his Weibo account that Beijing would not be able to effectively rule the city even though it would be a breeze for the PLA to round up “thugs”.

“Should we establish a party branch in each district and community in Hong Kong [after the takeover by the PLA]? The opposition camp would have every means to smear, resist and stir up trouble, and......

the West as a whole would launch a whole new round of criticism attacking Beijing for destroying its ‘One country, two systems’ pledges, meaning great uncertainty and political cost that would be too big to bear,” Hu wrote.

#HongKong Thread: Hong Kong police must probe pro-Beijing politician Junius Ho’s alleged links to the group behind the shocking mob violence in Yuen Long that left dozens injured. scmp.com/news/hong-kong…

Ho roused the anger of many Hongkongers by shaking hands with men in white T-shirts in Yuen Long on the night of unprecedented violence. Photos have also emerged of Ho having dinner with people dressed in white in Yuen Long on the night of the attack.

On Sunday, men in white attacked people at the MTR station with bamboo sticks & metal bars. The incident left 45 people injured including journalists & a lawmaker. 11 were arrested over the attacks, one arrested at the airport as he was trying to fly to Bangkok.

#HongKong Thread: Hong Kong police to ban Yuen Long protest march in rare decision over fears of more violence, but organizer slams ‘political move’ and warns show must go on 👍💪🇭🇰#HongKong🇭🇰💪👍 scmp.com/news/hong-kong…

#HongKong Thread: There are multiple garrisons in Shenzhen ready to descend on Hong Kong. The #US military has sent the USS Ronald Regan CVN76 to patrol off the waters of HK with several amphibs to facilitate evacs of US personnel if needed.

#HongKong Thread: Hundreds of Hong Kong protesters flooded into the arrival hall of one of the world’s busiest airports on Friday in the hope of sharing their message about the now-suspended extradition law with travellers.

#HongKong Thread: This is how Hong Kong people feel about their police force after Sunday's violence perpetrated by pro government triad gangs, where Police didn't see anything, didn't arrest anybody.

#HongKong Thread: Video: When people arrive at the Hong Kong airport, they are usually greeted by government branding that welcomes them to “Asia’s world city”. This is what they’ll see today as soon as they leave the baggage reclaim area: 👇👇👇

#HongKong Thread: Video: Now a common refrain at #HongKong protests: "Reclaim Hong Kong, the revolution of our times." It was localist Edward Leung's election slogan in 2016. The front of the march reached Sogo shopping in Causeway Bay around 4:25pm.

#HongKong Thread: Many protesters carry placards that read, "Stop the violence." One elderly marcher told HKFP that her main grievance lies with the police. She said the police should not have stormed Yuen Long station yesterday, while protesters were leaving. #antiELAB#HongKong

#HongKong Thread: Pictures outside the Western Police Station, where riot police are in a standoff with protesters. This is happening simultaneously as a separate group of protesters occupy Hennessy Road in Causeway Bay. #antiELAB#HongKongProtests

@HongKongFP#HongKong Thread: Beijing to respond to unrest in Hong Kong after more violent clashes - Hong Kong & Macau Affairs Office will give its stance and views on the situation – the first time it has held a press briefing on city since the handover scmp.com/news/hong-kong…

@HongKongFP#HongKong Thread: Video: footage shows a police officer grabbing a protester in Sheung Wan whilst another smothers her in pepper spray at close range. The activist involved did not display any sign of resisting police during the incident on Sunday 👇👇👇

#HongKong Thread: Hong Kong Is Now a Global Symbol of Resistance Against #China - As the crisis goes on, its mere existence increases both its impact and its symbolism in China, the Asian-Pacific region, and in #US-Sino relations theepochtimes.com/hong-kong-is-n…

#HongKong Thread: Next to Protest Against Hong Kong’s Government: Its Employees. HK government employees will protest on Friday at a gathering in a downtown park 👍💪👍 nytimes.com/2019/08/01/wor…

#HongKong Thread: Police arrest eight as Hong Kong gears up for another weekend of protests. Thousands of Hong Kong civil servants are planning to rally on Friday night in support of protesters reuters.com/article/us-hon…

#HongKong Thread: Tonight’s civil servants’ rallies of tens of thousands turned out to be civics lessons as speaker after speaker stood up to govt threats & said a civil servant’s duty is to the people of #HK, not to be ‘loyal’ to the regime. 👍💪🇭🇰💪👍

A Brigade 189 submarine & Naval Force’s surface warships at Cam Ranh port, Khanh Hoa province. Russia has already handed over six submarines to Vietnam. They are kilo-class submarines with the quietest engine in the world and are the best choice for reconnaissance and patrols

#Taiwan responds to Beijing’s military exercises with drill of its own - Armed F-16 fighter jets simulate attack followed by medium and long-range missile launches into eastern waters 👍💪🇹🇼💪👍scmp.com/news/china/mil…

Taiwan responded to Beijing’s military drill targeting the self-ruled island by deploying its most advanced fighter jets and firing 117 medium and long-range missiles on Monday and Tuesday.

Defence ministry spokesman Lee Chao-ming said the missiles were fired from the Jiupeng military base to waters off eastern Taiwan, with a range of 250km (155 miles), in an exercise covering five types of training for the island’s forces.

#India#Pakistan: Unprecedented heavy shelling all along the Line of Control has been reported by many sources in the last few hours. The Pakistani side of the LoC has been cut off from the internet. Casualties reported. Not clear what the reason is for the flare up.

#India#Pakistan: 200Km area is seeing worst ever Artillery Duel post Balakot Airstrikes after Pakistani Army tried to aid Terrorist incursion in Indian Side

#India#Pakistan: @ANI news Agency: Army Sources: Ceasefire violation since morning at multiple locations along Line of Control(LoC) including Uri, Tangdhar, Keran & Sunderbani. Indian Army targeting suspected terrorist launch pads & new positions being built on Pak side of LoC

Related threads

Thread: Here’s the route for the march through areas most popular with mainland Chinese tourists in #Kowloon. Hong Kong protesters are trying to raise awareness about their causes in the mainland, where news of the movement have been strictly censored. #AntiELAB

Many wearing black heading out of Tsim Sha Tsui station.

A volunteer first aid worker has a whole first kit in his backpack and in a belt around his waist.

#Thread: Inspired by the CBP Facebook revelations, I decided to take a look at the OUN-B affiliated U.S. Organization for Defense of Four Freedoms of Ukraine (ODFFU) Facebook group, which includes 610 people. In no particular order, here are some profiles that stuck out to me:

Pavlo Podobied, head of the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance's Department for the Preservation of Places of Memory, according to Newsweek, has "accused Jews of being the main perpetrators of Soviet crimes against Ukrainians in the 1920s and 1930s." (1/2)

Thread - As we expect another huge turnout for the anti-extradition bill protest in #HK, police and protesters are already on standby mode in Causeway Bay.

Once again, East Point Road becomes the center of the protest, where pro-democracy political parties and organizations already set up their booths and start engaging protesters and passersby through loudspeakers.

Lots of anger are aimed at the Hong Kong police, who have already deployed large amount of personnel along East Point Road.